Heel-protector



(No Model.)

T. L. K'EI'F, HeelI Protector.

7 No. 239,801] Patented April 5,1881.

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a; i g4 N. PETERS, FHOTO-UTHGGRAPHER. WASHINGTONv D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS L. KEIF, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEL-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,801, dated April 5, 1881.

Application filed February 16, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. KEIF, of Lynn, of the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have made a new and useful invention for Protecting a Shoe or Boot Heel from becoming soiled or injured on its edge during the process of finishing or buffing the bottom thereof, or that of the sole; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a bottom view, of a shoe with my protector or guard applied to its heel. Fig. '3 is a side view of, and Fig. 4 an edge view of, the protector or guard as it appears previous to its application to a heel.

In the process of finishing shoe heels and sole-bottoms it is customary to first blacken or color and finish the outer edge of the heel, the bottom of such heel and that of the sole being subsequently finished'in part, if not entirely, by emery or sand paper or a buffer. Great care is required, in so finishing the bot tom of the heel or that of theaSOlG, not to injure or deface the finished heel edge, and not unfrequently, with all the usualcare, such defacernent or soiling of such edge will occur, in consequence of. the hand of the operative being directly applied to the heel, or dust getting upon it and it becoming scratched.

My invention is to prevent such soiling or defacing of the finished heel edge, and to accomplish such 1 cover such edge with an elasticjacket or guard, to go around the outer edge, and to extend from thetop to the bottom thereof, and, generally speaking, a short distance upward on the upper, where next to the heel, such jacket or guard being elastic, so as, when stretched on the heel, to conform to its edge and fit tightly thereto, in order to pre- (No model.)

vent any dust from working between the jacket or guard and the heel while thejacket is in place and the finishing or buffiug of the bottom of the heel or that of the sole is being eft'ected or carried on. Such guard I provide with a hook and eye or eyelet, or other proper means of holding it in place when it is stretched and fitted upon a heel.

In the drawings, A represents a shoe, and B its heel jacket or guard or protector, as applied to the'heel, the said guard or protector consisting of a sheet, a, of india-rubber, having a hook. b, at one end, and an eye or eyelet, 0, at the other, such sheet being formed as shown in Fig. 3, and in edge View as represented in Fig. 4. The length of the guard should generally be less than that of the outer .edge of the heel, in order for the guard, (which should be of an elastic material,) while being applied to the heel edge, to be stretched, and by its elastic force to be drawn into very close contact with the heel edge, the book being hooked into the eye or eyelet, so as, with the contractile force of the guard, to serve to hold such guard firmly in place on the heel.

Instead of the hook-and-eye connection, any other suitable to the purpose may be substituted. The connection may be in one piece with the guard or jacket, and be elastic or inelastic, as may be desirable.

I claim as my invention as follows:

As a new manufacture, a heel-guard, substantially as described, consisting of an indiarubber or elastic jacket provided with a hook and eye, or means, substantially as described, of securing it upon a heel, in manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

THOMAS L. KEIF.

Witnesses:

THOMAS H. RONAYNE, RoLLtN E. HARMON. 

